Linear Thought: Thirty Themes for Thirty Tales
by Rika the Strange
Summary: Series of 30 one-shots. Newest chapter: "Listen" a la Allen and Lavi! "He kept his writing a secret, something he did during those rare moments of privacy and peace. It was during such a moment that Allen walked in, happily crunching on chips."
1. Breakfast

Rika T. Strange here, with another D Gray-Man fic! Because Anime Detour hasn't rolled around yet! And I'm still a little (*cough*) obsessed with the series! (All these sentences have ended with exclamation points!) Each theme is in the chapter title's name! Now without further ado: read, review, and enjoy!

...

And don't forget that the characters aren't mine! (Except the ones not mentioned in the manga/anime- those ones _are_ mine!)

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Sunday mornings in Germany were like Sunday mornings almost everywhere else in Europe: calm. Unless you were Arystar Krory III, in which case you were met with a loving but ultimately domestically-challenged wife, an excessively boisterous daughter, and a gloomy, meek son. However, Krory was currently fast asleep beneath the thick wool blankets that covered his bed. This particular morning he'd received the rare blessing of being both allowed and able to sleep in, largely because last night he had run into one of the few Akuma that had somehow survived the Earl and Noahs' deaths.

Krory woke slowly, and his mind stayed fogged with dreams long after. Seeing an Akuma again after so long was a terrible shock to his system, and brought back memories that he generally tried to suppress.

_Eliade... The fourteenth... "Monster"... Jasdevi... Grandfather..._

Krory shook his head violently. It had been nearly ten years since then; he couldn't let a stray Akuma get to him! Especially if it was just a lowly level one... Suddenly his eyes fell upon Miranda's grandfather clock and he smiled. She, at least, hadn't had trouble leaving the Order. Certainly, she had suffered nightmares- all of them had, and still did, on occasion. But she was ready and able to leave the conflict behind her when the time came. He, on the other hand... Sometimes he _still_ wondered what he was supposed to do with himself, now that he had no war to win. Reliving the thrill and power of an activated Innocence only made that feeling worse.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Krory jumped slightly. "F-father?" It was Arystar Krory IV, the older but meeker twin that went by his middle name, "Vinzent," because it made it less confusing for everyone involved.

"Ein moment," Arystar called, throwing out the German phrase with ease. Cursing the cold wooden floor, he hopped-danced-winced his way to his wardrobe. From it he removed a heavy black robe (he'd never quite gotten used to the colder, Bavarian winters) and pulled it over his naked shoulders before opening the door.

"Good morning, Vinzent. Did you sleep well?"

"Y-yes, thank you. D-did you?" The boy tugged on his white shock of hair as he spoke- he kept it longer than his father's specifically for this purpose, although the remainder of his hair resembled Arystar's.

"I did," Krory answered, before gently taking his son's hand. It was partly a display of paternal affection, and partly a gentle way of helping him curb his nervous habit. "Let's see what your mother is making, yes?" Vinzent nodded.

Krory turned and padded silently down the hallway, and while his son had to take three steps for every one of his, he kept pace well. The smell of pancakes ("pfankuchen" Miranda called them) wafted up the stairs and they both smiled. Best to enjoy the smell before they burned...

The cheerful "thump" of tiny feet brought Krory's attention back to reality. "Good morning, papa! Good Morning Vinnie!" It was Elizabeth, bouncing over in her nightie. Her black hair, cropped short to manage the curls, bounced along with her. She had inherited his white shock of hair as well, and although she kept it swept behind her, she had grown it out past the small of her back (she insisted it was "fun to braid!" and frequently tied flowers and ribbons in it). Currently it had a bell woven in to the end that rang cheerily with even the tiniest movement. Sometimes Krory wondered how his daughter slept, assuming she did at all...

"Good morning, Nadja." Krory smiled as he spoke her name and patted her on the head. "Did you-"

"Don't call me Nadja, papa!" She whined, ducking out from under his hand and into her brother (the boy didn't bother protesting- this sort of thing happened all the time). "I'm a lady now!" Elizabeth puffed out her chest importantly, and crossed her small arms.

Arystar chuckled, "I know, and 'Nadja' is so 'unrefined', just as turning ten makes you a 'lady'." The former exorcist could never understand his daughter's dislike for her first name.

"That's right!" She said with a pout, before skipping down the stairs to sit expectantly at the kitchen table. Krory followed, still chuckling softly. When they reached the table, Vinzent let go of his hand to sit by his sister. Arystar was about to sit down when there was a BANG followed by a near-hysterical scream from the kitchen. He gave the situation half a second's thought before he rushed to his wife's aid.

He understood what happened before Miranda could even speak (not that she was likely to, laying dazed on the floor as she was). The kitchen was coated with a thin layer of white powder, and the remains of a brown, wax-coated paper bag were still fluttering to the ground. Carefully, Krory knelt down and gathered Miranda in his arms. "Are you alright?"

"Th-th-the flour exploded," she stammered when she finally regained enough composure to speak. "I d-dropped it over th-the stove..."

Arystar smiled and brushed the powder off her face. "Be more careful, Mira." She blushed at his nickname for her, but managed a smile and nuzzled against his neck. Krory closed his eyes and turned down to kiss her, when-

"M-mother?" A soft, tentative voice peeked out from the doorway before Vinzent did. In reply, his parents yelped and collapsed into a heap, which in turn caused the boy to jump and yelp as well.

"I-I'm alright," Miranda assured him, although she looked anything but- she was coated in flour, for one thing, and awkwardly smushed beneath his father. "Go wait with your sister for breakfast."

"A-alright," Vinzent sighed, trudging back to the table. His nonchalant acceptance would have amazed most people, except that due to his mother's extraordinary clumsiness, situations like this happened all the time.

Krory coughed loudly to clear the air and get rid of the flour he'd inhaled. "Shall I cook while you clean?" Arystar offered while they disentangled themselves.

Miranda looked enormously relieved. "Yes, thank you." With help from one of the kitchen counters she got to her feet, then pulled a broom from the kitchen closet. She began to sweep up the flour while Arystar took over management of the only slightly-burnt pancakes.

It took about half an hour longer than expected, but finally the pancakes were done and the kitchen was clean (or at least no longer coated with flour). "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay, food!" Elizabeth exclaimed, as her father set down the plate of pancakes (Vinzent was equally enthused, in his own quiet way). Krory had insisted, partially for the sake of the breakfast itself, that he carry the plates out. Miranda had insisted in turn that she carry the drinks out, and surprisingly only spilled once. It was after had wiped the milk off her apron that she sat down next to her husband, taking his hand beneath the table. They both realized, not for the first time, just how far they'd come since they'd first met. Going from fighting for their own lives to bringing new ones into the world _was_ quite the jump, after all.

Miranda smiled and gave Arystar's hand an affectionate squeeze. He kissed her cheek in return. _It__'s a change I can make,_ he thought, _so long as I have you._

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Rika Says: More chapters to come! Constructive criticism makes me a happy author! (I love exclamation points!) This chapter is short and the ending is kinda cliché! Flour really can explode like that! "Ein moment" means "hold on a second" (literally "a moment") in German!


	2. Deliverance

Rika T. Strange again, with the second one-shot! It's Road-centered this time, with a _slight, one-sided_ RoadxAllen. The theme is "Deliverance" and I hope you all enjoy! Disclaimer is in the first chapter. Oh, and I went to Detour last weekend. It was amazing- I was Miranda, one friend was Crossplay!Allen and the other Krory. The photoshoot was awesome, and there were a few Roads there. Probably why I'm so gung-ho about finishing this one! Anyways, enjoy!

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The Noah were dying. It started with Skin Boric, and continued with Jasdero and David. Then Lulu Bell. Cirryl. Even Tyki Mikk. Tears that were once a rarity coursed down Road's face with astounding frequency as one by one, month by month, she felt her siblings fall.

And yet The Earl did nothing. Nothing, as the Noah was ripped from Tyki, leaving him worse than dead- leaving him _human._ Nothing, as Lulu Bell was torn apart by the Generals. Nothing, even, as Jasdero and David were infected and consumed by the Innocence.

They were losing, and she knew it. The Earl knew it too, but he continued to fight as before, sending wave upon wave of Akuma after exorcists and humans alike. His script was no longer being followed... The actors had all died or rebelled.

All, of course, but her.

As the eldest Noah, she was expected to keep on fighting despite the setbacks. And fight she did, although she doubted the wisdom of her leader (and oh, how she wished to say "their" leader once more! To feel the loyalty of the Noah surge beneath her skin at the sight of the Milleniem Earl!). So although she tried her best to be so, she wasn't the most enthusiastic about attacking the Order straight-out. They'd tried it before and failed (that was how they'd lost Cirryl) and Road saw no point in repeating it. But the Earl's orders were irrefusable, and... Well, she got to play with some of the exorcists, at least. Watching them howl and writhe until they and their Innocence shattered soothed the aching Noah.

She swirled and pranced through the air as she flung her candles about, laughing with bloodied glee at the twisted corpses she created. There never seemed to be enough places for the non-combatant members of the Order to hide, and Road adored this fact. Finder and science division blood was never as pretty or red as exorcist blood, but it was still blood. She squealed with vicious joy as one of her candles pierced the side of a long-haired exorcist. She swooped closer, wanting to taste, to touch, to smell the dying fluid of God's apostle.

"What's wrong, little exorcist?" She cackled with glee. "Are you hur-" Her voice stopped; Road felt the sword pierce her heart before she saw it. She looked down, curious about the source of her pain. She took in the black cross and white background, and then her Noah screamed and she felt like she would break... She _was_ breaking, Road realized.

Breaking, like the cubes of Innocence she had destroyed. Breaking, like exorcists she had killed. Breaking, like her family. The pain grew and the scream became audible; it consumed her world until nothing but her scream and the breaking pain were left. Then it went beyond consuming to devouring, and then... Nothing.

No loyalty. No bond. No pleasure. No lust. No wrath.

No dreams.

The nothing was worse than the pain, worse than the breaking scream! "Nothing" meant _alone_, and that was worse than death or even being human. She understood, now, why Tyki had been grateful to Allen. Why he had been happy to take up the bonds of friendship with the boy.

He had nothing else.

And now she, too, had nothing. Not even the promise of friendship, for she had not only killed but toyed with and tortured the humans. Tyki had been merciful to them, and so they were merciful in return. Within her fractured mind and soul, Road laughed. So they had a sense of justice, after all.

She saw his arms envelop her before she felt them.

"Road?"

It was the boy, the boy with the cursed eye and the wretched sword that had destroyed her and her family. The boy that was holding her and asking her if she was all right and calling for someone to get Miranda.

Then it was more hands, two more- two more scars and the realization that everything she did affected them; the realization that when the Earl died, the boy's family would no longer need to exist.

Lenalee's hair would grow and she would forget the war.

Kanda would die.

Lavi would become a Bookman and the war another story, told without emotion.

Arystar would rebuild his grandfather's castle.

Miranda's scars would fade and she, too, would forget.

The boy's family would be destroyed.

Road laughed again as she felt her strength return; felt the wound stop bleeding and even cease to exist. The woman with the scarred hands watched her with fearful eyes, and Road almost laughed again. _Do you understand as well, Mi-raaaan-da?_ Her mental voice was mocking. O_r do you fear the ghosts of memories?_

Then she saw the way Allen looked at the woman, the care and concern for a comrade in his eyes. She saw the love in Lenalee's eyes. The joy and hidden loyalty in Lavi's. The relief and empathy in Krory's. The well-concealed but ever-present gratitude in Kanda's. The laughter in her died. _Somehow_ they were stronger than her family had been. Although the Noah's bond had been over seven thousand years old, it was broken by ones forged within half a decade. Was it because they _chose_ to make these bonds?

She remembered the painfully joyous glint she had seen in Tyki's eyes the moment his Noah was destroyed, and realized something else. _They don't need us, but perhaps... We need them. For freedom- **deliverance**._

Then she felt the warmth of the hands on her- more, now, than she had ever expected or thought possible- and finally saw the joy of being human.

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Nothing to really say about this one- I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I still want feedback, though! Tell me how I can improve!


	3. Flower

Rika T. Strange, with my third chapter! I'm amazed I've gotten this far... Usually I loose interest in a fic or fandom by now! Y'all should count yourselves lucky, 'cause normally by the second chapter you'd be waitin' six months or more for an update! [/southern twang] Just kidding, of course. I love you guys! Anyways, this one's TykiXMiranda. I PROMISE I'll start doing more on other characters (I actually have a Lavi and Allen friendship!chapter planned out for after this), but this one has been bugging me for a while so I HAVE to finish it before I start the others.

Anyways. New chapter! Disclaimer's in the first one.

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The former Noah sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This really _was_ getting dull, not being able to leave Headquarters to so much as buy groceries or slum with the local vagabonds. And then there were the daily tests by the science department- they were either annoying or painful, with a strong tendency towards the latter. Plus the frequent interrogations by that mustached freak and the "Crow" guys...

All things considered, Tyki had come to the conclusion that having a woman would at least make things bearable. But Lenalee was off-limits: not only was she (rather covertly) Allen's lover, but his current situation at the Order was shaky at best and the last thing he needed was that sister-obsessed supervisor breathing down his neck on top of everything else. Then there was General Cloud, of course, but she was hardly present enough to make pursuing her worthwhile. Well, that and he_ had_ killed her students.

This left a handful of nurses, and Miranda Lotto. When he thought about it, Tyki realized that she was probably the most interesting of the women, if far from the most feminine. Her strength as an exorcist was quietly invaluable, while her strange fits of panic and clumsiness were alternately funny and charming. When added to her romantic inexperience, she made for an interesting challenge. No, wooing her would _not_ be boring.

The first day after Tyki Mikk made his decision, he left a potted pink lily in her room (Jerry had procured it for him; the cook had been all-too-willing to help Tyki in his "quest for love~!" as he had called it). Now he stood outside in the hall and smiled to hear her exclamations of surprise and confusion. A few moments passed and Miranda poked her head out from the doorway, holding the plant's pot tightly. She spotted Tyki and gave a nervous smile- he still unnerved her, it seemed, though his skin was human-toned again and the only marks of a Noah he bore were the now-jagged crosses on the palms and backs of his hands.

"Did you see anyone come in my room, Mr. Mikk?" She asked, her voice wavering.

He winked lazily at her and smiled conspiratorially, delighting to see her blush. "I did indeed, Ms. Lotto." Tyki strolled over and took the plant from her without asking, and she was too surprised to protest. "It matches your blush, don't you think?" He glanced at her sideways and she slammed the door in a panic. Tyki laughed and set the flower down outside her door. "Take good care of the flower," he called as he walked away. Inside her room, Miranda's heart was pounding.

She waited until she was certain he'd gone before she opened the door and snatched up the flower. "I _will_ take good care of it," she said quietly, setting it on her windowsill. Her words were soft but there was annoyance and determination beneath them.

The next day Miranda was ready to put the whole incident behind her as a joke, as she'd learn to do with any display of affection directed towards her. Of course Tyki had a much different agenda, so at breakfast Miranda found herself not only in the company of Lenalee, Allen, Lavi, Noise and Krory, but of Tyki Mikk as well. This wasn't as unusual as it might have been, since he got along well with the exorcists, but normally Tyki slept in far past regular breakfast hours and consequently ate alone. Miranda blushed when she saw him at the table and sat down between Lenalee and Noise. Arms pressed tight to her sides, she tried to make herself as small and unobtrusive as possible. But she felt the former Noah glancing at her with almost indecent frequency, in-between teasing Allen and playfully commenting on the length of Lenalee's skirt.

Finally, just when she was beginning to relax a little, he turned his attention to her completely. "And how is the flower I gave you doing today, Ms. Lotto?"

Miranda choked on her milk and Noise had to slap her on the back until she could breath again. "I-it's fine," she sputtered, red in the face from coughing and having the gift mentioned.

"You gave her a flower?" Allen asked. His voice was casual but there was a cautionary, protective vein beneath it.

"Yes, a lily," Tyki answered, unperturbed by the boy's tone. "Pink, like her lovely face."

Miranda's face got redder. Krory excused himself from the table.

"Tyki..." Allen was outright warning him now.

The former Noah only laughed. "Perhaps a red rose would have been better?"

"Tyki." It was Lenalee now, her voice laced with threats if he continued to tease her friend. Though she and the others had befriended the former Noah, they knew full-well his frivolous attitude toward women and romance. They thought the last thing Miranda could handle was putting her heart on the line in such an unpredictable game, and they wanted to protect her.

"You play me for a villian," Tyki replied easily. "I assure you, I mean Ms. Lotto no harm." He winked. Miranda frowned deeply and stared at her plate until she worked up the nerve to speak. She could hear the warning tones in her friends' voices, and knew they were trying to protect her... But she couldn't let them do _everything_ for her. She was a _woman_, damn it, and if she wasn't willing to take a risk or two then her own flower would wither before anyone appreciated its bloom.

"If you just intend to use me for your amusement... I won't have it. I-I won't let you." She forced herself to meet Tyki's gaze with eyes both terrified and defiant. He was surprised and enthralled with this turn of events; she spoke again: "But if you're sincere..." Her expression softened by half an inch and she suddenly she lost her resolve. "I-I ah, I..." She spluttered and Tyki grinned, happy to fill in his own words..

"I'll meet you for lunch at one."

In the silence that followed she swallowed hard and nodded, hoping all the while that she wasn't getting into something too far beyond her level of experience.

After breakfast Miranda returned to her room with Lenalee; the younger woman was determined to try and convince her friend out of meeting Tyki for lunch.

"He's not like Allen, or Krory or Noise," she insisted. "He's just bored..."

"And?" Miranda almost snapped. "So what if he's merely bored? It's... It's better than having nothing at all. I should at least try."

"Oh, Miranda..!" Lenalee took her friend's hand and squeezed it tight. "Please don't say that. You're wonderful. I'm sure some day soon, a kind man will come along and you won't have to-"

"I'm twenty six, Lenalee," she interrupted quietly. "'Soon' is too long."

Lenalee was taken aback by her friend's interruption, then relented slightly and shook her head. "Just... Be careful." Miranda nodded and slipped into her room.

The time exorcist met Tyki at the cafeteria ten minutes late; not intentionally but because she had needed the extra time to compose herself. She was wearing her black and red uniform as usual- she didn't want to give the wrong impression, and it wasn't like she had much else to wear. Miranda noticed the table was set for two with an assortment of German dishes. She raised her eyes to smile at him but frowned instead when she saw the strained expression on his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked as she sat down, her concern overriding her nervousness.

"N-nothing," he grunted, giving her an exaggerated smile in an attempt to hide it his discomfort. But Miranda noticed anyways and saw the way he carefully kept his arms beneath the table. She glanced briefly down at her own hands- gloved, like they always were, to hide the scars.

"...Are your scars hurting?" Tentatively, she reached out.

"They're fine," he was steadfast in his desire to keep his arms out of sight.

"You can't eat if you don't move your hands," Miranda noted quietly.

"I'll make due." Tyki's face was serious now.

"I didn't come to eat by myself," she answered. She felt the blush creeping up her neck.

"...Fine." He pulled his hands out from under the table and Miranda chanced a glance at them. She gasped when she saw the palms were wrapped 'round in bandages, a dark red radiating from their centers on either side.

"What happened? Why are they bleeding again?"

"Testing," Tyki stated casually. "Science department wants to know why I still have them, so every now and then they cut them up and draw blood from the veins that feed them."

Miranda turned pale. She knew it was probably Central's doing, but... It was terrible, that the side she was fighting for could be so cruel.

"I-I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry you have to endure that..."

Tyki laughed. "No, _I_ should apologize. If I'd known this was on today's schedule, I wouldn't have made a date so soon after. They probably look disgusting. But then it would be foolish to waste the chance to spend time with such a pretty lady, so I couldn't rightly cancel." He was trying to distract her, smiling winningly.

She shook her head, refusing to be distracted, and gently took his hands in hers. He immediately tried to pull away and she let him. The blood from his bandages smeared onto her white gloves. He stared at her hands for a long while before speaking again.

"I suppose yours are almost gone, now," he stated quietly, then turned and asked brightly, "show them to me, won't you?"

"They're ugly," Miranda protested.

"I don't care," Tyki insisted. "I showed you my hands."

"Fine," she answered after a pause. Miranda hid her hands beneath the table and slowly pulled off her gloves; she folded them carefully and set them aside before she finally let her naked fingers poke over the edge of the table.

"That's hardly fair, Ms. Lotto," he said with a laugh. "You can't keep them half-hidden."

She flushed but placed her hands on the table; she clasped them together nervously all the while. Her blush spread when he carefully picked them up, running the exposed tips of his fingers over the discolored splotches her scars had faded to.

"They're not ugly," he told her softly. "They're natural... Human. Almost look like dandelions."

Miranda shivered and in the corner of her mind hoped he would continue to caress her hands. When he did and she began to relax and simply enjoy his touch; her eyes started to close and Tyki smiled. He reluctantly let go of her hands and spoke.

"Your food's going to get cold, Ms. Lotto."

Her eyes snapped open and she nodded hastily. "R-right!" Miranda rushed to find a distraction from her (what she considered) embarrassing behavior, and cut at her food furiously before all but shoving it into her mouth.

Tyki laughed out loud. "A woman after my own heart." She choked on her food in response and Tyki laughed harder, getting up to help her by slapping her on the back as Marie had done earlier that day. He ignored the pain in his hands.

When she could speak again she was practically crying. "Y-your hands!" She wailed. "You hurt them!"

"It's fine," he answered dismissively, waving off her concerns and dripping blood on the floor. "I've suffered worse."

Miranda shook her head purposefully and stood up. "I'm taking you to the medical wing. They'll take care of you."

"No!" Tyki was suddenly frantic. "That old woman is crazy. I won't go near her, even if you cry."

Miranda's eyes welled up despite his words. "P-please?" She begged, gently taking hold of his wrist. "I don't want you to hurt worse than you already are!"

"I'm _fine_," he soothed, then smiled mischievously as he got an idea. "Although if you want to take me back to your room and bandage me up, I wouldn't mind..."

Miranda was too worried to pay attention to the implications in his statement. She dutifully took him back to her room, where there was always a plethora of first-aid supplies (mostly for treating her own bumps and bruises that she acquired throughout the day). "Here," she said softly, letting go of his writs. "Sit down, please." Miranda motioned to her bed and walked over to her bookshelf where the majority of her bandages were kept (on a lower shelf, of course, so she wouldn't fall when reaching for the top). She walked back a moment later and sat down beside him. Tyki smiled and leaned in closer. Too concerned to notice, Miranda carefully unwrapped his hands.

"They'll never heal, if they keep being cut up like this," she said softly. "I'm afraid to think what... what would happen if they were to become infected."

"Mm." The former Noah's smile remained on his face even as Miranda dabbed at his wounds with disinfectant. _She smells nice_, he thought. _Like... Grapefruit and thick honey._ He leaned even closer and soon was resting his head against hers.

Miranda blushed fiercely but kept working. _He's probably just tired_, she told herself. And when his hands were bandaged and her job completed, she found herself reluctant to move. But it wasn't a proper situation, so she felt obliged to speak up. "Mr. Mikk," she started softly, "I-"

"Just call me 'Tyki'," he interrupted lazily, not moving an inch.

"T-tyki," she started again.

"Can I call you Miranda?" He interrupted again.

"Y-yes that's fine, but-"

"Good, because I like it much more than 'Ms. Lotto'. That's too formal, I think."

Miranda gave a small, only half-defeated sigh. "Tyki..."

"Yes?"

There was a pause. "...Are your hands feeling any better?"

He laughed inside himself. "Yes, they are."

Miranda smiled a little. "That's good." She'd given up on trying to make him move. "Proper behavior" be damned, he didn't want to and neither did she.

On the windowsill, her lily stood blooming.

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Rika says: This chapter's song was "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John because I love its flippancy. It fits human!Tyki well, I think xD Speaking of, though, I'm not entirely sure if I portrayed him right *sweatdrop* So as usual, give me constructive reviews! Tell me what I can do better.


	4. Listen

Rika T. Strange again, with my previously-mentioned Lavi and Allen friendship!chapter. (Although if you want to see it as slashy, I won't stop ya. Laven's pretty damn cute, if I do say so myself!) I've really fallen in love with the idea of the Bookman clan lately, so this chapter was especially fun for me to write x3 Enjoy!

Anyways. New chapter! Disclaimer's in the first one.

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Lavi loved to write. Which was only suitable, considering he was working to become a _Book_man, but his love went beyond recording facts and figures, beyond describing events in dry and settled terms. No, Lavi loved to write with flourish, with style. He loved to take a word and toy with it in his mind; turn it around and examine its potential from all angles before sliding or sometimes tossing it into place alongside a suitable partner. Sonnets, stories, songs, he loved to write them all.

Lavi didn't love to share this hobby. He _loathed_ the idea of anyone reading his private works (or rather, he feared it- but Lavi also didn't love admitting fear and so he said he loathed it). At one time, he had been proud of his skill- each piece a great accomplishment- but Bookman subtly frowned on the habit and anyone else he'd shown- mostly his peers, boys his own age- had laughed at him and called him a sissy. So he kept his writing a secret, something he did during those rare moments of privacy and peace.

It was during such a moment that Allen walked into Lavi's room, crunching happily on a bag of potato chips. "Hello, Lavi!"

The bookman junior jumped and hastily shoved the manuscript he was working on under the desk before turning to face Allen. "H-hey, Allen! What's up?" His smile was overlarge and nervous.

The boy blinked. "Is something wrong, Lavi?" He turned his head sideways and leaned to one side slightly, to try and see under the desk. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing!" Lavi laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Just some notes to remind me to do things."

"Really?" Allen stepped closer, to where he was standing beside the desk. "Can I see?"

"No." The redhead's response was deadpan and serious; it made Allen entirely too curious. The boy put his slight-of-hand skills to use and snatched the papers from under the desk, before starting to read.

"Chapter one, 'Creatively Distasteful'." He looked up and grinned at his friend. "This is much more interesting than a list of things to do!"

Lavi's face reddened and he grabbed for the papers. "Allen! Give it back!"

The boy deftly avoided his hands. "No, let me see!"

Lavi was getting angry and afraid. "Give it back, shorty!"

"Oi! No way, not after that!"

Allen dropped his potato chips and took off running down the hall, manuscript firmly in hand. Lavi followed easily, extending the handle of his hammer while he sat atop it. "I said give it back!" He made a snatch for the papers but Allen dodged and Lavi tumbled down, down onto the floor where his face connected with a sick "crack" and his nose gushed blood.

Allen skidded to a halt at the noise. "Lavi?" He ran back to his friend's side. "Are you okay?" He knelt down and reached out to help him up, forgetting the papers he held.

"Don't!" Lavi shouted, shoving Allen's hand away. "You'll geb blood on id!" Already he was struggling to sit up.

"Wha- oh!" Allen made to set the papers down, but saw the blood spreading across the floor and thought against it. "Should I get the nurse?"

"I'll be fign," Lavi grumbled. "I can walg myselb." Gingerly he cupped his hands beneath his nose in an attempt to stop the blood without disturbing the potentially broken bone. "Jus... Follow me, and bring thab with." He motioned to his manuscript and Allen did as he was told.

Once there, the nurse berated them both while she set Lavi's nose. "You're going to kill yourselves, both of you! Using an Innocence to chase the other down the hall..." She pushed Lavi's nose back in to place and he stifled a whimper. Allen grimaced empathetically.

"That should teach you not to use your weapons so carelessly!" She scolded. "Now I'm going to check in on the other patients; I expect you to still be here when I get back!"

"Yes ma'am," Lavi answered, wincing.

"Good!" She glared once at him in warning before turning around to leave. Allen shivered.

"She's scary!"

Lavi only grunted in response and began to leaf through his manuscript, making sure nothing was lost or out of place.

"...I'm sorry," Allen said weakly, picking up one of the papers that had fallen.

"Yeah, I know." The Bookman-to-be was still irritated.

Allen sighed and slumped back in his chair to wait for his friend to relax a little. It took a while, but eventually Lavi's temper seemed to cool- some of this may have had to do with the fact that his manuscript was in order again- and Allen chanced another attempt at conversation.

"Why didn't you want me to read it?"

Lavi jumped slightly, surprised by the question. "What?"

"Why didn't you want me to read your manuscript?" Allen frowned. "I like to read..."

"...It's personal," the redhead groused at first, then relented slightly when he saw the crushed look on his friend's face. "I don't like to share my casual writing with anyone."

"Why not?" Allen asked, honestly confused. "I think you'd be a good writer, with how much you must practice for your job as a Bookman."

Lavi smiled a little, though it was clearly self-defeating. "Well... Most people don't."

His friend frowned deeply. "Try me."

The redhead arched his eyebrow. "Really?"

Allen nodded. "Yeah. Read me something you wrote."

Lavi looked nervous for a moment, but quickly hid it behind a boisterous smile. "Sure!" He held his manuscript up in front of his face, so he wouldn't have to see Allen's reaction. He was so sure his friend would hate it, or laugh at him...

"Go on, already!" Allen insisted, anxious to hear what he would say.

Lavi smiled slightly behind the papers and started to read. He was nervous at first, and some of his words were shaky, but all throughout, Allen listened. When he finally finished, his friend smiled broadly.

"That was amazing, Lavi!" He exclaimed.

The bookman junior's eye widened. "R-really? I mean, of course it was!"

"Yeah! You should write more often. I'd like to hear more of your stories."

Lavi laughed, relieved and excited. "I have more, actually... I've written quite a few."

"Can I read those, too?"

Lavi looked at his friend. Allen hadn't seemed this excited since breakfast, when Jerry had given him extra rice-dumplings by mistake. "If you really want to, then..." He smiled and tapped the stack of paper's against the boy's head. "Sure."

-----------------------------

Rika says: LALALA! That was fuuuuun~! Though I think I may have made Allen a bit too spunky _;

Anyways, IMPORTANT INFO TIME!

I'm kind of wondering who y'all would like to see as the next two/three characters in the next chapter? I'm thinking of doing either the theme "wrong" or "growl" but I'm not sure who to use for what. **So, tell me which theme you'd like, and which characters/pairings would fit!**


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